Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services will donate a combined $1 million to bill payment assistance and other coronavirus relief efforts in the communities they serve across Arizona. The companies will contribute $500,000 to the COVID-19 Community Support Fund established by the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (CFSA) to support charities experiencing increased service demands from vulnerable populations during this public health crisis. Of that amount, $350,000 will be directed to Tucson-area agencies and $150,000 will benefit communities served by UniSource.
TEP and UniSource also will donate a combined $500,000 to Wildfire, an Arizona nonprofit group that helps low-income families pay their energy bills. The companies had already committed to contribute $300,000 to Wildfire this year, so this new pledge increases that amount by $200,000. TEP customers will receive $350,000 from this year’s contribution, while the remaining $150,000 will support UniSource electric and gas customers.
In addition to providing philanthropic support, TEP and UniSource stand ready to help customers affected by this pandemic with payment extensions or enrollment in short-term assistance and bill discount programs. The companies also have suspended service disconnections and late fees until further notice.
The companies also joined in a cooperative agreement with Governor Ducey and the state’s largest electric utilities to ensure the delivery of reliable energy to homes, hospitals and businesses, while also making sure that Arizona residents facing financial difficulties will have choice and flexible payment options.
For more details about the companies’ response to the coronavirus pandemic, visit tep.com/COVID-19 or uesaz.com/COVID-19.